Purposes of Documents for Church Wedding (Part 1)

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One thing that many couples complain about is the sheer number of documents required for a church wedding. Aside from the documents required by the government for marriage registration, the Church required us to submit our baptismal certificates, confirmation certificates, wedding banns certificates, parish priest’s permission for the bride, and certificate for attending a pre-Cana seminar. Obtaining these documents took more than a day in our wedding preparation schedules.

I read somewhere in the Internet someone claiming that these documents “are means for the Church to earn money”. I don’t know if that person has an axe to grind against the Church or just ignorant.

So, to set things straight, I’m posting what I know about these church documents and why they are important.

Baptismal Certificate

(Source: Tom Mahony website)

Marriage is a sacrament in the Catholic Church and it requires that at least one one-half of the couple marrying in the Church is a baptized Catholic. The Baptismal Certificate serves as a proof of that baptism. Baptismal certificate may be obtained from the parish church where you were baptized.

Our church required us to obtain copies of our baptismal certificate containing the remarks: “For Marriage Purpose”. This meant that the baptismal certificate hidden by Mother in the baul will not be accepted by the church. We had to get recent copies.

There is no standard price for baptismal certificate. It really depends on the parish church. I paid 50 pesos for my baptismal certificate in our previous parish church in Quezon City. My Beloved Wife Lei paid 100 pesos for her baptismal certificate from their church in the province down south.

Confirmation Certificate

(Source: Wikipedia)

According to the Catechism, the Sacrament of Confirmation perfects baptismal grace. Through it, the Holy Spirit root us more in the divine filiation, incorporates us more firmly into Christ, and strengthen our bond with the Church. In short, Confirmation or Kumpil gives us the opportunity to receive more grace that will make us better Christians.

Married life is never easy. It demands strength and dedication for us to be always true to our wedding vows. In light of our Catholic Christian faith, marriage demands more grace and firmer faith in God. This is the reason why the Church requires couples to receive Kumpil first before getting married in the church.

Lei is fortunate because she was able to receive Kumpil during her teen years. I was not able to do that, so I have to receive Kumpil in Quiapo Church. Lei paid 100 pesos for her Confirmation Certificate. I, on the other hand, paid 430 pesos for the whole process of receiving this sacrament.

Receiving baptism and confirmation are important for Catholics. These two sacraments prepare would-be-couples spiritually so that (hopefully) they’ll be more open to the grace from our God. The certificates are just documentary proofs that these sacraments were received.

“But Ish, but Ish,” some of you might say, “but these certificates came from the church. They should be free!”

I agree, these certificates should be free IF the paper used was obtained by the church without paying for it, that the parish priest don’t need to eat, that the parish church are exempted from paying electric and water bills. Keep in mind that our churches run because of donations and payments received from all of those requesting for these documents.

Hopefully, I enlightened you a little regarding these certificates. In the second part of this article I will tell you the importance of wedding banns, parish priest’s permission for the bride, and certificate for attending a pre-Cana seminar.
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Wedding Prep: How I Received Kumpil or the Sacrament of Confirmation in Quiapo Church

We received a list of requirements when we booked our church for the wedding. Among the requirements are the certificates for Baptism and Confirmation (Kumpil). I easily obtained a copy of my Baptismal Certificate. What’s missing, unfortunately, is my Confirmation Certificate.

I asked my parents about it and even inquired with our parish but to no avail. I couldn’t find my certificate because I discovered that I didn’t receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in the first place! My parents forgot about it.

Unfortunately, the rite of confirmation in our parish only happens once a year. I totally missed it and I might even miss (or move) our wedding because of it.

“Why bother with Kumpil in the first place and mess your wedding?”, some of you might ask. The answer is that we really want to have a church wedding. Me and My Beloved Wife will not settle for less (read: civil wedding) because we believe in the importance of this ceremony in our life. If the Church says that Kumpil is important then we will obey her no matter what.

Good thing that Quiapo Church has a weekly schedule for Kumpil. This is where I availed of this sacrament.

The actual rite is just a small part of Quiapo Church's Confirmation program that runs from 8 AM to 12 noon every Sunday. The rite is just one hour or less depending on the number of confirmants. What ate up the whole half day of the program is the seminar prior to the rite. The lecturers of that seminar taught us about the teachings of the Church.



Some of you might be wondering why there is a Sacrament of Confirmation. According to the Catechism:

“Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian faith in words accompanied by deeds”.

In short, the Kumpil help us grow spiritually because it gives us plenty of graces. Thus, the Church wants every couple to receive this sacrament because it will strengthen them in their married life.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Those who want to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in Quiapo Church should register first to get a schedule for the rite. You need to submit your Baptismal Certificate with a note “For Marriage Purposes” and then fill-up a form. You must also bring a valid ID. The fee for Kumpil is 380 pesos.

Quiapo Church is very strict that's why confirmants must come on time. Latecomers will be asked to register again (and pay another 380 pesos). Only one ninong or ninang are allowed inside. Friends and family members will be prevented from entering.

Confirmants should also go to confession prior to Kumpil.

The certificate of Confirmation can be obtained 1 week after the rite. The certificate costs 50 pesos.

I am glad that Qiuapo Church offers Kumpil. It solved my problem about Confirmation requirement for our wedding.

Read about my post about the Sacrament of Confirmation or Kumpil, if you have more questions about this sacrament.

If you're in the same predicament as me, then I highly suggest that you go to Quiapo Church for kumpil. I think that there other churches that have regular schedule for kumpil. 12Eighteen mentioned in blog post that the National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels offers kumpil every Thrusday and Sunday.

If you know of other churches that offer kumpil, please share it with us.